"Clara Sarmiento, assistant to the president [Pal Brooks] of Brooks Tropicals, will take on the additional responsibility of food-safety manager for all of Brooks Tropicals," said Mary Ostlund, director of marketing for the Homestead, FL-based company. "Clara will lead the current team in Belize and Homestead in this ever-growing area of importance."

Western Growers Association, based in Irvine, CA, has hired Dennis Nuxoll as vice president of federal affairs. He will be based in Washington, DC, and will begin with the association on March 5.

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Village Farms International announced today it has harvested the first fruit from its new state-of-the-art greenhouse located in Monahans, Texas yesterday. The initial pick is being harvested a few weeks ahead of schedule due to the excellent greenhouse climate.

Shored up by a new partnership designed for deeper market penetration, the tide has turned for the Oceanside tomato deal.

When longtime Oceanside grower Harry Singh Jr.'s vine-ripe tomatoes make their return to the market in July, they will be backed by the sales, marketing and distribution expertise of The Oppenheimer Group.